


anestrus

by TheSpaceCoyote



Series: Huxloween 2019 [8]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Birth, Breeding Kink, Fingerfucking, Genital transformation, M/M, Male Lactation, Mpreg, Non-Human Genitalia, Pack Dynamics, Pregnant Armitage Hux, Rituals, Scent Marking, Were-Creatures, Werewolf Knights of Ren, Werewolf Kylo Ren, erotic birth, non-human pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-12-07 14:49:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20977673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSpaceCoyote/pseuds/TheSpaceCoyote
Summary: Months ago Armitage Hux gave up his relatively normal life to form a bond with a werewolf pack. His end of the bargain?To carry a litter of pups for their alpha, the hulking and handsome Kylo Ren.





	anestrus

**Author's Note:**

> The only thing I have to say for myself is that this fandom needs more nonhuman birth kink fics. 
> 
> The genital transformation/non-human genitals tags refer to the fact that Hux's body is altered via magic (yes, really) to better give birth in this fic. If that's not your deal, no hard feelings. 
> 
> Also yes, Kylo and his pack live in a cabin in the woods instead of a den. They're not totally uncivilized.
> 
> Consider this a fill for Huxloween Day 26: "Were-Animal."

Restless nights weren’t exactly new to Hux. 

Even before, back when he’d lived in a neat apartment all to himself instead of a cabin in the woods shared with a commune of werewolves, he’d always had difficulty sleeping. Except now it wasn’t the stress of his job that kept him awake, but rather the litter of wolf pups unnaturally stretching his belly to the limit. 

Hux couldn’t see much when he blinked his eyes open. The room where he nested with the rest of the pack had large, shutterless windows that let even the slightest glow of sunrise shimmer across the floor, so it must still be night. Hux lifted his head off the bundle of rolled blankets that served as his pillow, squinting at the blackness. He couldn’t see Kylo, but felt the werewolf’s hot, even breathing against his face and the brush of his fur against his belly. He always slept pressed up against Hux, but lately had taken to shifting into his wolf form whenever they lay together in the nest. 

Hux mumbled sleepily, hand going to his domed middle on instinct when he felt something move. He pulled up the hem of his nightshirt, the only clothing he felt comfortable wearing anymore, and rubbed what he thought was the troublesome spot, just below his protruding navel. A hazy memory of pain floated in his mind, and he assumed that’s what had woken him. One of the many offspring inside of him had probably decided it wanted to practice sprinting without enough space to actually stretch its legs. They’d grown a lot more active in the recent weeks, much to Hux’s chagrin. Sometimes they moved so sharply it knocked the wind out of him, or left sore spots Hux was sure would bruise if they were anywhere near the surface of his skin. He’d grown a little used to it, the sensation of several heavy, constantly moving weights inside of him. Still hurt, though. 

But as he rubbed his hand over the side of his belly, steadily drifting back to full wakefulness, Hux felt like something was wrong. Anxiety crept unbidden upon him, fed by a dull ache radiating out from his pelvis and lower back that felt foreign in comparison to the litany of pregnancy pains he’d grown used to over the months. Hux suddenly felt like he was caught in the path of an oncoming storm, treading water in a shallow trough with a massive, daunting wave looming above him. 

A moment later the foreboding sensation crashed over him, and suddenly the throbbing in his lower body that had only been irksome up until that point started to swell and spread until he couldn’t help but gasp in pain and abrupt epiphany. He grit his teeth against the feeling, riding it out until it had ebbed back to a steady ache, then immediately propped himself up on a shaky elbow and raked his fingers through the tangle of black fur at his side. 

“Ren,” Hux whispered, trying to rouse his mate, but found Kylo was already awake. His eyes glimmered out of the darkness, the gold and black flickering only slightly as the body around it changed. Black fur shrank and vanished into Kylo’s pale nudity as his bulky wolf form melted down to his only slightly-less bulky human disguise. One broad hand found Hux’s belly, the other supporting his back as he tried to remain sitting up through another contraction. 

“You’re in labor,” Kylo stated, nostrils widening as he sniffed the air. Hux nodded, his death grip on Kylo’s shoulder easing slightly as the pain passed. 

“W-Well-spotted, Ren. I should’ve expected nothing less from a beast with such _ keen _ senses.”

“How long?” Kylo asked, ignoring Hux’s weak attempt at sarcasm. His palm felt good on Hux’s tight belly, but not enough to make him completely forget about either the pain or his steadily mounting panic. 

“I...I’m not sure.” Hux licked at dry lips, trying to remember. “I only woke up a few moments ago, I didn’t know what was happening until it…”

“It’s alright.” Kylo leaned in, brushing his lips against Hux’s cheek. The hair on his chin tickled slightly. “Werewolf-human labors tend to come on quickly. Remember?”

At the moment it was hard for Hux to remember much of anything that Ren had taught him about the hybrid pregnancy. Hux had even kept a notebook of the information he felt was most key to the process, but all the tips and tricks he’d meticulously broken down and outlined escaped him now that it was actually happening. He took in a deep breath, trying to fill his lungs with air only to falter with a sob. _ Fuck_. He was not going to start crying now, especially not during what would probably be the easiest part of the entire ordeal. 

“Hey.” Kylo’s warm, husky voice returned. He pressed their foreheads together, the clawed tips of his nails dragging gentle patterns into the fabric of Hux’s nightshirt. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I have you. We all have you.”

The nest rustled around them as the rest of the pack awoke, eyes glimmering, ears at attention. Chuffs and sniffles filled the air as they padded closer, all of them now more than aware that Hux was in labor. It should make Hux feel nervous, to be watched by so many eyes while in such a vulnerable position, but on the contrary it helped him relax. 

“You’re calling the shots, okay?” Kylo continued in that same soothing tone. “We’re just here to help you through this. All you have to do is let us know what you need.”

“Okay. Um.” Hux tried reigning in his panicked thoughts and focused, identifying what it was he actually needed. “Now that I think about it, I’m a little warm.” The nightshirt was sticking to his skin with how much he was sweating, so he pulled it up off over his head. It helped to be completely naked, but not quite enough. Hux swallowed, throat clicking. “I could use some water. And it’s a little musty in here too, would it kill you lot to open up some window?” He’d grown accustomed to the stuffy, animal musk that permeated the whole cabin, but right now it was a little stifling. 

Kylo nodded. “I’ll get you water and see about letting some air in here. In the meantime, my pack needs to do some preparations. Is that alright?” He touches their noses, looking deep into Hux’s eyes. “Or would you prefer me to stay by your side?”

Hux did, but at the same time he was loath to appear unnecessarily needy. So he shook his head. “It’s not as if I expect you to cut and run. I’ll be fine.” 

With that Kylo scented him one last time before getting up and vanishing into the kitchen. Once he left the previously quiet living room suddenly buzzed with activity, the rest of the pack either moving to crowd around Hux or rifling through open drawers and the baskets strewn about the floor. Some remained in their wolf forms, lending Hux the warmth and softness of their fur as he breathed through his contractions, while others shifted into humans, whatever tasks they were undertaking requiring the use of more dextrous hands. Hux watched everything in a bit of a daze, sitting braced up against the second-largest member of Kylo’s pack besides Kylo himself, fingers kneading into dense raven fur. 

Hux tried to remain still as the pack started with their “preparations.” He almost wanted to ask their purposes, but only Kylo ever seemed willing to explain the reasoning behind the pack’s various rituals. Hux wasn’t sure whether the rest of the pack just didn’t know, didn’t want to tell him, or if perhaps it was the job of the pack alpha alone to do so. So he remained silent, watching as one of the shifted pack members—a young woman with dark reddish hair twisted into braids and piercing green eyes—dipped a primitive, tapered brush into an earthen pot of ink and started painting Hux’s belly. 

The cool ink and soft glide of the bristles felt unexpectedly good against Hux’s tight skin. He watched her paint the sensitive nub of his navel before stroking a circle of delicate runes around it, then a series of longer and more elaborate flourishes radiating outwards across the full dome of his belly. They overlapped and encircled the faint, pink marks still remaining from the breeding ritual, the ones Kylo had painted before leaving Hux filled and dripping with seed, but the designs she daubed never conflicted with those already impressed in Hux’s skin, as if the packmate was merely adding to her master’s markings instead of trying to cover them up. 

While she was doing this another member of Kylo’s pack draped a long, woven cord about Hux’s neck. He looked down as he felt something slide across his bare skin to come to rest between his soft, round pecs. Really, they were more like breasts now, all soft and pillowy, nipples swollen with burgeoning milk. They’re a bit of a nuisance if he was being honest, and hard to get used to, but he just counted his lucky stars he hadn’t sprouted an entire row of them what with all the other changes his body had undergone. 

He pulled the pendant out of the valley between his breasts to examine it. A simple wooden circle, inscribed with yet more runes, its surface painted with faded pigment that formed a blossoming flower in the center. Hux made the mistake of sniffing it and recoiled. It reeked of musk so strong and acrid he felt his nose might wrinkle right off his face. 

“Master has prepared that,” the packmate rasped flatly as Hux let the amulet fall back against his chest. “Will ensure a safe birth and healthy pups.”

“Not if it makes me ill in the meantime.” Hux quickly wiped his fingers against the nest, sour-faced. He wished Kylo had prepared him an amulet with a _ nice _ scent, like lavender or rosemary, rather than just spraying it and calling it a day. But the squeeze of another contraction distracted him from the unappealing smell, forcing him to double over his belly and dig his hands into the fur of the packmate curled up behind him. 

Kylo returned not long after the young woman finished painting Hux’s belly, armed with a glass of water and a tray of glistening, blood-red fruit cut into quarters. Hux drank gratefully once the contraction passed, but turned his nose up at the food. 

“My stomach is filled with _ your _ rowdy pups, now actively trying to make their great escape...what makes you think I have food on the brain?” 

“Just try to eat some, alright? Even just a bit. It will help you keep up your strength.”

“I’d rather not vomit all over myself. Not when I’m already covered in sweat and Lord-knows what else.” As far as Hux could tell, his water hadn’t broken yet, but he could feel something puddling between his thighs to soak into the nest. He assumed it was more of the slick he’d started leaking at random midway through the pregnancy, but he didn’t want to check. 

“Please?” Kylo’s voice took on a plaintive lilt, and he put on that hang-dog—or rather, hang-wolf—expression that dug right into Hux’s heart. His shoulders fell in defeat. 

“Fine,” he said with a sigh, taking advantage of the brief break between contractions to swipe a single piece of fruit from the platter. “But I will _ not _ be the one to scrub sick out of wolf fur should this go awry.”

Hux gave the fruit a testing lick and, finding it palatable, took a small nibble. It tasted like overripe nectarine, with the texture of a beet. It left a slight metallic tinge on his tongue, so unexpectedly that Hux probed his cheek to ensure he hadn’t accidentally bitten it. He swallowed the fruit and waited a couple of moments to see if he felt nauseous, but nothing came up. Ignoring Kylo’s smug smirk, he took another bite, then another, eventually scarfing the entire slice down and reaching for another. He hadn’t realized just how hungry he was, how much even the first stage of labor was taking out of him. 

“You still want the windows open?” Kylo asked after Hux finished another slice of fruit, helping him wash it down with more of the water. Hux wiped his mouth, letting the cool drink work through his flushed and tense system.

“Please. It’s still rather stuffy in here.”

As Hux finished off the fruit as well as the glass of water Kylo went to open up all the windows, letting the night air trickle in. Hux relaxed a fraction, grateful for the cool sensation against his sweating skin, as well as the damp, earthy scent of the forest outside. He could hear the rustle of the breeze through the trees, the soft coos of the mourning doves, the gentle snap of twigs and fallen leaves as some small creature darts over the ground and vanishes into the underbrush. He heard a lot more than was probably possible from such a distance, but didn’t question it. 

Overall, it was nice, but it just wasn’t enough. As Hux sat, another contraction welling up in his belly, he suddenly felt too cramped and claustrophobic, even in the vast space of the living room. The open windows helped, but they could be larger, wider, could grow until the entire cabin collapsed and vanished and bared Hux to the interminable world around him. He wanted—no—_needed _ a place without walls boxing him in. 

“Ren, wait.” Hux caught his mate’s hand as Kylo knelt at his side and began to fluff up the nest around him. “Do we have to do this here?”

Kylo looked at him blank-faced for a moment. “What do you mean, here?” he asked slowly. “It should be more comforting for you to give birth in your nest.”

Hux shook his head. “It’s not the nest.” He pulled a hand away from his belly to gesture half-heartedly around himself. “It’s this...the room. I don’t want to do it in the room.”

Kylo’s blank face shifted into confusion. 

“I’m not sure I understand. Where would you rather do it? In the bathroom?” 

Hux shook his head again, and pointed out the nearest window, to where the moon hung in the sky. 

“I want to give birth outside.”

Kylo stilled, eyebrows arching up. 

“Are you sure?” he whispered, hand coming to rest gently on Hux’s bare belly. He started tracing little patterns into the flesh that feel short and anxious, but Kylo’s expression looked more thoughtful than concerned. “It’s...it _ is _ tradition for werewolf births to be outdoors, but I wasn’t sure if you’d feel too exposed—”

“You’ll all be there to protect me.” A small smile fluttered to Hux’s lips as he cupped Kylo’s hand on his belly. “How could I not feel safe with seven wolves watching over me?”

Beneath both of their palms, a pup wiggled and kicked. Weeks ago, his belly had finally dropped, and ever since then Kylo had been diligently checking the babies to make sure they were in proper position. He gave Hux another once over now, sitting up onto his knees to rub both firm hands over Hux’s belly, applying pressure here and there in between the painted designs. After a moment, Kylo nodded, apparently satisfied.

“It’s getting close. They’re ready.” Kylo met Hux’s eyes. “If you want to give birth outside, we should move you now.”

“I do,” Hux said with a nod. Despite the tense pain, a spark of exhilaration flared in his chest. This felt like the right move. 

Kylo gruffly barked to the rest of the pack, springing them into action. He bunched the nest up against Hux’s body and planted a kiss on his forehead before stepping away and letting the human-shifted packmates move in. Hux laid back down, realizing what they were about to do and wanting to make it as easy as possible for them. 

Four pairs of strong arms slid under the nest, cradling the entire thing plus Hux’s weight as they hefted him into the air. They moved in sync, their steps smooth as to not disturb Hux that much. It almost felt like he was floating on a palanquin as light as a cloud as the pack carried him through the cabin and out the front door. He would normally be embarrassed that he couldn’t walk on his own, but instead he felt oddly content, like this was the inevitable precursor to some kind of ritual—much like the one Kylo had used to impregnate him in the first place. And now it was all coming full circle, on the same stone altar outside of the cabin where it had begun. 

A stronger contraction hit just as Kylo’s pack settled Hux atop the altar, the viselike pain gripping deep into his body and making him cry out. A proper cry this time—more than just a whimper or a tight sob, it echoed through the forest around them and startled several cooing doves from their perch. Hux squeezed bunches of fabric in his fists, his heels digging fruitlessly in the nest as he splayed his hips in a bid for some desperate relief. 

“Are you alright?” Kylo swept to his side as the rest of the pack gave him room, those in their human forms shrinking back into wolves. They formed a respectable circle around the altar, myriad eyes watching their master as he tended to his mate. 

“I...I think they’re getting closer together.” Hux hadn’t been counting though he knew he probably should have. But that contraction had definitely felt like it’d come on quicker than the previous couple. He knew that much. 

Kylo nodded, brushing hair off Hux’s sweaty forehead. He loomed over Hux on the altar, head hung, wild hair framed in the glow of the moon above. Every errant strand alight, made silvery, keeping his pale face and dark, contemplative eyes in shadow. The sight tripped something familiar inside of Hux, and suddenly he realized why. 

Kylo had bred him under a moon as black as the night around it, but now the entire altar lay bathed in sallow light, the above sky illuminated by a fully waxed moon. Hux didn’t know if Kylo had planned it this way, or if fate had merely thought it’d be poetic. Either way, being under the moon—so bright and brimful of life, just like him—helped ease away a little more of Hux’s anxiety. 

However, while things felt a little better, something still bothered Hux, and it took him another contraction—again, closer—for him to recognize it. 

“I don’t want to be on my back,” Hux moaned out, lifting himself up on his elbows. Wild-eyed, he looked up at Kylo. “Help...help me move, please?”

He felt a little silly for asking, but remembered what Kylo had said—_you’re calling all the shots tonight_. Hard as it was to believe he had any say in such a daunting and utterly foreign experience, he needed to try If he wanted to get through this, he needed to ignore propriety and his own hangups and instead listen to what his instinct told him. And for whatever reason, doing this on all fours just felt right, like going outside had.

For now, Hux blamed these urges on all this time he’d spent literally running with wolves. 

“Okay.” Kylo was terse, either due to nerves or focus, but he helped Hux all the same. Strong hands supported his back and hip as Hux eased himself up onto his knees, then turned around to face the bottom of his nest. His legs and arms wavered as they came to support his full weight, but Kylo’s hands never left him. One stayed on his hip, but the other moved to cup the curve of his belly where it hung down from his body, taking some of the pressure off of Hux’s bowed spine. 

“Thank you,” Hux breathed, going down to elbows. He felt a little ridiculous, with his slick ass stuck straight up in the open air, but neither Kylo nor his pack reacted to it. 

“Does this feel more natural?” 

“I...I think so.” At the very least, Hux felt less nervous like this. Less trapped and helpless than he had on his back. The prospect of giving birth was still more than a little bit frightening, but like this—and with Kylo holding him, supporting him—Hux felt a little more confident he could see it through to the end. 

The contractions continued, and this time Hux counted the time between each one, though he did it by breaths rather than counting out the seconds in the head. With his thoughts so muddled, it felt easier, more intrinsic as he lost himself to the sensations progressing through his body. He could still feel his pups shift from time to time, but they were a lot less active while he was in labor. He wasn’t sure whether that was fine, but at least they weren’t kicking and wriggling while he was already dealing with the contractions. 

Time moved slowly, but it moved nonetheless. Hux could feel the changes in his body steadily progress, even as he wished they would speed up. The labor had come on quickly but now seemed to be slowing, Hux’s body content to let him wallow for a while longer before the real effort began. It was frustrating, to be forced to linger on the edge of uncomfortable without decisively swinging in one direction or the other, but at the very least Hux grew used to the feelings of the contractions. In fact, after a while he felt almost numb to them, the tension settling into something that was aggravating but overall, mildly tolerable. 

Having grown tired of propping himself up on all fours, Hux slumped into a less tense position on his side. He kept one leg folded with his knee pointing upwards, not wanting to close up his hips with pressure still mounting there. Tired as he was, he wanted to be ready for whenever his water broke and the next phase of labor began in earnest. 

But as Hux lay there, he felt something new start to gather in his loins, increasing with each contraction that passed through him. At first, he was too exhausted and numb to identify it as much of anything, but when the next wave of tension rolled through him and he felt something wet—but distinctly _ not _ his waters—leak out of his hole. Disturbed, he tried to deny it, until another rhythmic squeeze through his loins had his slim cock twitching against the fabric of the nest. 

Hux clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle a moan. Fuck. He was _ aroused_. 

Despite the urge to keep his hips open he quickly closed his legs, which did nothing but rub the sensitive skin between his thighs together and cause his cock to stiffen further. Embarrassment flushed across his already reddened cheeks as he felt a gush of slick fluid ooze out of the slit behind his balls that had _ not _ been there when he’d first bonded with the pack.

The opening had made its first appearance several months back, first as a sensitive line of raised pink skin, before deepening and finally connecting with whatever sort of canal was bridging the gap between it and the womb Kylo’s magic had grown inside of him. It had disturbed Hux at first, but now it felt as natural a part of him as any other organ in his body. 

And yet, while he’d let Kylo experiment a little bit with the sensitivity of the new entrance, he hadn’t expected to feel such sensations while actively giving birth. 

He hoped Kylo wouldn’t notice, but with senses as sharp as his were and all of his attention entirely focused on Hux’s well being, it was inevitable. He just kept his eyes tightly shut, trying to will the sensation away. Kylo would think of him as little more than a degenerate if he were to admit that he was getting off during what was _ supposed _ to be a solemn and significant event. 

“Hux? Are you alright? What are you feeling?” Oh, bless Kylo for not blurting it out, even though Hux was sure he already knew. 

“N-Nothing. I mean. The usual. Labor and all that.” Hux’s words came out in a staccato hiss. He tried forcing his legs apart, hoping that might help abate the feeling, but Kylo’s palm came to rest on his thigh. 

“It’s okay,” Kylo soothed, softly petting Hux. “You don’t have to be ashamed.”

“But it...it’s not supposed to feel _ good_, is it? Something's wrong with me.” Fresh shame welled up in Hux’s face, nearly prompting tears to his eyes. Fuck. This was so stupid. Couldn’t he just give birth already, without all the humiliating side effects?

“It’s not unheard of.”

Hux blinked rapidly, stemming the tide of wetness in his eyes. 

“What? Are you sure?”

“Your entire body is preparing you for this. Every single part is involved. Even _ those _ parts.”

Kylo was silent for a moment, just stroking Hux’s leg. 

“I can touch you, if you’d like. Do you want that?”

Hux let out a whine as Kylo put into words what he wanted but had been too ashamed to admit. He scrunched his face up, blush heating his cheeks to a glow that could rival the moon. Unable to muster his voice as another contraction rolled through him, dueling with the unexpected pleasure, he gave a quick nod. With Kylo’s help, he returned to his position on all fours, head resting on his folded forearms. 

Kylo’s hands moved, sliding over his body until both of them framed his angled hips. Hux curled his hands into fists and pressed one against his cheek, shivering as he felt Kylo’s fingers trace over his ass down to where the new slit opened wet and puffy in his perineum. 

“Tell me to stop if it’s too much, or if it hurts. Or if you just want me to stop.” Hux couldn’t help the slight smile that pulled at his lips. Kylo, so considerate and protective, even when he was about to do something so sordid as probe into Hux’s dilated hole and finger him mid-labor. 

But first Kylo stroked the thin lips framing the entrance, careful not to nick the delicate skin with his long nails. A shudder seized Hux’s spine, pleasure blossoming up in his mind, temporarily beating back even the pain. Any trepidation or unease he felt about letting Kylo touch him during such an intense process melted away, the tightening of muscles from his loins all the way down to his damp hole taking on entirely new meaning. He supposed that Kylo’s explanation made some sense—labor engaged similar parts of the body used for sex, so perhaps it wasn’t so strange to feel this way after all. Perhaps it was wholly natural, just another feature of his new body to embrace. 

“Still good?” Kylo’s voice rolled over Hux’s back like warm breath. Hux could tell he was panting, could smell an uptick in the heady musk that meant Kylo was getting aroused by this too. Briefly, Hux wondered if Kylo would mount him, push right into his wet, open hole and fuck it wider with that thick cock of his. It was already out in the open, dangling heavily between his strong, nude thighs. Kylo could do it, it would be so easy for him to slide in between the slick lips of his slit and mark his territory one more time, to savor the sight of Hux’s tightly swollen belly as it swayed and trembled with each thrust, before the litter came sloughing out and left him empty and deflated. 

But—perhaps for the best—Kylo didn’t try to fuck him with anything bigger than two of his fingers. Thankfully, they were more than enough. 

“_Lord_,” Hux moaned when he felt the intrusion, the brush of bare skin and slight hint of nail along his quivering inner walls. The thickness of Kylo’s fingers never ceased to amaze him, a pair of them almost as big around together as some of the piffling cocks Hux had taken in his lifetime. 

Kylo didn’t push too far, perhaps wary of harming Hux or triggering something prematurely. Still, the stretch of Kylo’s fingers felt like a tease of moments to come, for when his hole would widen beyond what felt possible to pass the first of the pups. But instead of fear, Hux found himself looking forward to it, wondering if it would feel this good—or perhaps even better. 

The rest of the pack watched, occasionally pacing in their self-imposed circle around the altar but never interfering nor challenging Kylo for a chance to mount Hux. He knew that they wanted to—this was not the first time Kylo had touched Hux like this in front of them. He was their pack breeder, after all, and there had been talk of Hux carrying their litters should this pregnancy prove successful. Such discussions had tapered off a bit the closer and closer Hux got to the birth, but he wondered how long it would be before he was back on this altar with new markings on his belly and another wolf above him, ready to breed him full of pups all over again.

Somehow, the idea of that no longer unnerved him. 

“Fuck, Hux,” Kylo groaned as Hux jerked his hips back against his fingers, “you look so good like this. Round and slick and so fucking loose. I can feel how close you are. So close to giving birth to our pups.” Hux tensed, muscles rippling around Kylo’s fingers with a contraction that sent another burst of unexpected pleasure shooting alongside it. The tip of his cock rubbed up against the underside of his firm belly but with how wound up he felt Hux hardly needed friction against it, not with Kylo pleasuring him so effortlessly through his slit. 

It wasn’t long before Hux came with a cry, splattering the nest beneath him with a cathartic burst of come, his hips rocking back against the fingers inside of him to milk every last drop out. For the first time since the labor began he felt properly relaxed, orgasm humming through him like a content purr.

Several minutes later, as Kylo mopped up the mess with a clean piece of nesting material, Hux’s water finally broke. 

* * *

Sadly, beyond that point, the mindblowing pleasure fell apart and sank back into pain. The contractions wracked Hux’s belly so fiercely that it visibly tightened each time one rolled through him, gripping his entire body in agony before releasing it for a far too brief respite. The contractions were so close now that Hux didn’t bother tracking them, too busy trying to stop himself from hyperventilating to count each breath. 

Kylo remained by his side the entire time, even crawling up onto the stone altar to hold Hux from the front and support him as he rocked back and forth on his knees. The musky amulet bounced between their chests, though Hux found its heretofore acrid and unappealing fragrance a little comforting against the metallic smell of his broken waters and everything else that had dripped from his body to stain the nest. Better still was Kylo’s fresh scent, and at many times throughout the ordeal Hux found himself pressing his entire face into Kylo’s neck or shoulder, gaping open-mouthed at his skin like a landed fish, stealing quick huffs of the sweat and animalic virility that comprised his mate’s aroma. Around them the six members of Kylo’s pack still watched, though they’d stopped pacing entirely and now merely sat back on their haunches, ears straight up, waiting. 

Hux was sick of waiting. Whenever he managed to open his eyes he saw the moon above them dip lower and lower in the sky, giving him a slight idea of just how much time had passed since the pack had first carried him out onto the altar. At this point, he just wanted it over with, the sensations consuming his entire body overwhelming him to the point of tears. He’d never felt anything like this before. It was as if all the weight, all the pups and the remaining fluids cushioning them, all the pain and pressure in his body, all of _ everything_, was funneling down to one tenuous, excruciating point. 

Hux screeched into Kylo’s shoulder as he felt something hard and wet push through his pelvis, another gush of fluid dousing the nest between his legs. His screams died into tense sobbing when the movement stopped, the firm presence wedged in his birth canal. He knew it was his pup but all at once he locked up with fear. _ Lord_, he couldn’t do this. No matter how much his body wanted it, no matter how many new parts he grew—he couldn’t do this. 

Hux felt Kylo’s large nose nuzzle into his hair, letting out two encouraging chuffs. He licked at Hux’s ear, a gesture he would normally find annoying but now welcomed for its warmth and inherent affection. 

“You have to push,” Kylo rasped, his voice nearly as wrecked as Hux’s. He kept his mate propped up against his chest, thin arms cinched tightly around his neck, and let his hand trail down Hux’s until it reached the lower curve of his belly. Kylo blindly traced the ink marks against Hux’s skin, both those that he had painted months and the fresher ones left by his packmate. At first Hux wondered if he was going to perform some kind of magic to help the labor along, but Kylo only pressed his fingers into Hux’s belly, seeking his pups. 

“It’s alright. I’m going to have you push when I do. Just trust me.” 

Hux didn’t understand how pressing on his belly was going to help things along, unless Kylo thought he could squeeze the pups out of him like a cork out of a bottle, but he nodded against his mate’s shoulder all the same. He trusted Kylo. He had no choice but to trust him in all of this. 

Hux tried to reign in his breathing in the brief moment between contractions, but the next came on quickly, his belly tightening so severely Hux felt sure something inside of him would tear. This time, Kylo pressed down with his hand as the pain swelled to a peak, anticipating the contraction.

“_Push_, Hux, push now.” Kylo’s voice took on a firm growl, and much as Hux bristled at taking orders from anyone, even his mate, he felt compelled to obey. Mustering up all of his strength, he clenched all the muscles in his hips and abdomen and bore down, encouraged by the careful press of Kylo’s hand. At first it felt useless, and he almost gave up, but then something abruptly shifted and the weight in his pelvis dropped further down, making slow but steady progress through his birth canal.

“Good, Hux, good,” Kylo kept his hand braced against Hux’s belly, the other stroking the back of his neck. “Do that again on the next one.”

Hux nodded. His breathing still felt a little elevated, but he tried to focus on the weight in his pelvis and the pressure of Kylo’s hand on his belly, to trust his body instead of fighting it out of fear. When the next contraction came he was ready, pushing at the exact moment that Kylo’s hand pressed down against his belly. This time, the pup shifted a lot more, its snout and head squeezing past the gird of Hux’s pelvis. His eyes widened as he felt the lips of his entrance flare. 

“Oh—Ren, I can feel the head…” Hux whimpered, managing to unstick himself from Kylo’s front long enough to feel between his legs. Sure enough, when his fingers brushed up against his bulging slit, he felt something soft and wet and unquestionably furry poking through. 

“Almost there, Hux, almost there,” Kylo repeated as Hux fell back against him, fingers massaging the claim mark at the back of the human’s neck. Though it wouldn’t do anything to help the labor along, it felt nice, reminding Hux of the bond he’d entered with Kylo, the commitment he made to the pack that had changed the course of his life forever. 

Emboldened by that thought, Hux bore down as hard as he could on the next contraction, and with an earsplitting, primal scream, finally pushed the head of the first pup free. The rest slid out with surprising ease, a bit of the pressure inside of Hux finally abating. 

Amidst a litany of gasps and pants a weak yapping filled the still night air. Exhaustion forgotten, Hux jerked his head over his shoulder to try to see his pup, suddenly filled with the need to hold them against his chest. He could make out the nest wriggling with movement but little more, and he barely had time to push away from Kylo before the next contraction ripped through him. Hux collapsed back against his mate’s chest with a cry, nails scraping against his collarbone as the second of his pups began to descend through his pelvis. 

Thankfully Hux managed to keep most of his wits about him and, with the birth of the first pup under his belt, managed to push out the next without too much fuss. More little yips and mewls filled the air, encouraging Hux to keep going. He let out a laugh that edged on hysterical. _ Lord_. He was really doing this. 

“Halfway done,” Kylo whispered against the side of his head. Hux could feel his toothy smile. “Just keep on pushing. You can do it.”

Hux really felt like he could now, with two slick pups wriggling and yipping in the nest beneath him. Instinct pulled at his heart and told Hux to tend to them, but the contractions didn’t stop long enough for him to pull away, this time pushing both pups down towards his birth canal. He gasped at the abrupt movement, but kept his nerves about him. Kylo helped, rubbing at his belly in between the contractions, feeling out the position of the remaining pups. 

“These two will come quickly. But then it’ll be done, and you’ll have your litter in your arms.” 

Hux nodded, lips parted, every inch of his body laser-focused on this singular task. He felt like he’d given himself completely over to instinct, his hips rocking and muscles squeezing with each contraction. There were no longer any breaks between them, but the pain only energized Hux, driving him closer and closer to the end. Incoherent mewls and whimpers dripped from his lips, and he might sound like a mindless animal to his own ears if he cared about anything other than birthing these last two pups safely. Kylo was pushing almost continuously against his belly, working one pup through his birth canal and then the other. Both their heads lifted at the same time, and their eyes locked. After a moment, Hux leaned in and rested his forehead against Kylo’s, letting out his best imitation of a chuff. It was now or never. 

Hux screamed as he bore down one final time, joined by the rest of the pack as they tipped back their heads and let out a chorus of howls into the night sky. And with the calls of their family and one last, momentous burst of fluid, both pups slid out of Hux to join the others in the nest below. 

Dizziness overtook Hux as he collapsed against Kylo’s chest, his mate’s muscular arms instantly encircling him. Whispered praises drifted in, and Hux felt several other pairs of hands carefully turn him until he was sitting in the nest, facing the night above, still reclining against Kylo. His head lolled on his neck as he glanced between his legs, vision slowly solidifying as he took in the sight before him. Four squirming pups sat in the damp nest, their ears plastered back against their skulls and their little eyes closed. Deaf and blind, relying only on touch and smell to figure out their surroundings. Little whimpers reached Hux’s ears and tugged at his heart. Despite the fact that they looked nothing like human newborns, he could barely wait to gather them up and hold them close. 

“Y-You better fetch a knife for those,” Hux garbled to no one in particular when he saw his pups were still connected to their cords. “I won’t have wolf jaws down there, not after all that.”

Kylo laughed in his ear, before waving one of the shifted packmates off towards the cabin. In little time they returned with a freshly cleaned ceremonial knife that made quick work of each cord tethering the pups. Once they were cut free, Hux opened his arms. 

“Please...I want to hold them.”

Instead of picking up each pup to rest in Hux’s weakened embrace, Kylo shifted their bodies until Hux was lying curled around the litter, keeping himself pressed to his mate’s back. Tentatively, Hux reached out to touch the pup nearest to him—a little ball of black fur, still slicked and glistening from amniotic fluid and filmy streaks of tissue. Hux stared at them for a moment, marveling at how small they were, in contrast to how big they’d felt inside of his belly. 

After a long moment, the shock faded and instinct finally kicked back in. Hux knew from the nature documentaries he used to put on as white noise that mother wolves licked their pups clean, but he suppressed the strange and slightly unappealing urge and instead grabbed a handful of loose nest bedding. Carefully, more carefully than he’d ever done anything in his life, he started to rub them dry. The pup wriggled in his hold, letting out soft pips from its tiny, milky-pink mouth. Behind him, Hux felt Kylo change, shocks of fur brushing up against his spine as he unfurled into his wolf form. Kylo’s snout snuffled over his shoulder, leaning in to inspect the pups. When Hux finished cleaning the first one, Kylo chuffed and licked at its little nose.

Hux snorted. “Got to get your scent all over everything, don’t you?” Kylo chuffed again in agreement, before moving onto the next pup, using his tongue to lick its fur free of blood and sticky fluid. Hux pulled a face and made a disgusted noise. He would have to make Kylo clean out every inch of his mouth before he allowed those long, deep kisses he loved so much. 

Working together, they managed to clean off the rest of the pups, with Hux rubbing the last—a little, inexplicably orange-furred runt—until it squealed and nudged his hand. His heart melted. They looked absurdly adorable, with their fur stuck up and fluffy in places, rooting around in the nest as they sought out their mother’s warmth. 

“They’re hungry,” Kylo’s warm voice returned, lips pressing against the shell of Hux’s ear. “Careful. They’re born with little teeth. If it hurts, let me know, and we’ll work something out,” he purred, broad hand beginning to massage Hux’s deflated belly. It felt good, though Hux knew Kylo mostly meant to ease whatever remained inside of him out. He shuddered and tried not to think about it just yet, instead reaching forward to gather the largest of the four pups against his chest. He wanted to feed one at a time, but that didn’t stop the rest of them from whining and trying to wriggle close to him, eager to latch onto Hux’s free nipple as he fed the first pup with the other. 

He really did feel like an animal like this—resting on his side, nursing his hungry offspring as his mate massaged his belly to detach the afterbirth—but maybe that wasn't so bad. After all, Hux had carried them for months, nurtured them with his body. They were his to care for in whatever way he could, and he no longer felt ashamed or nervous about any of it. He actually felt—dare he say—_happy_. 

By the time the moon started to set and the sky grew blueish pink with the coming dawn, all four pups snuggled up to sleep against their mother, bellies filled with nourishing milk. Hux, exhausted after his ordeal, fell asleep not long after he finished nursing, leaving Kylo to dispose of the afterbirth. Careful not to stray too far from the side of his mate and pups, Kylo wrapped it up in a piece of nesting material soiled beyond repair, and passed it off to one of his packmates—a large, tattooed woman who took it from him with no shortage of reverence. It would be buried somewhere on the grounds to feed the earth, and once the pups’ eyes opened Kylo would plant a tree there, to grow and flourish and mature as his litter did. 

But for now, he bundled his sleeping mate and happy pups up in a fresh roll of bedding, carrying them back to the warmth of the cabin so they could all finally rest.

**Author's Note:**

> Who doesn't love puppies? :p
> 
> Hit me up on [Tumblr](http://thethespacecoyote.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/heir_of_breath7/).


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